browne



Jan. 31, 1956 J. R. BROWNE 2,732,969

CASE CONSTRUCTION EMBODYTNG SEPARABLE UNITS Filed March 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l RH O O EE Q Q F I G. I

INVENTOR. John R. Browne ZQ/JZ% ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1956 J. R. BROWNE 2,732,969

CASE CONSTRUCTION EMBODYING SEPARABLE UNITS Filed March 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1:111:11 y JIIIIJIIJI III I-IIIIIII 1,1,1, IIIIII'IAVIIIIIIII/l INVENTOR.

John R. Browne A TTOR N EY United States Patent 3) CASE CONSTRUCTION EglsiflDYlN G SEPARABLE [m John'R; Browne, Coloradosprings, Colo.

' ApplicationMarch-9, 1953, Serial No. 341,214

Claims; (Cl. 220-234) This 'invention-relatesto-an' improved case or receptacleconstruction, and more particularly one embodying separable-units;

O'ne of the objects of the invention is to produce in a case construction embodying separable units improved means for permitting the units to be quickly and easily connected together and disconnected so' as'to be usable individually.

A" further 'object'is to' so' construct. identical case: unlts and provide'each with means for connecting it to other. like units that, the units can be connected" together: at eitheroftwosides with a sideby side relationship.

Another'object'isto' provide improved means for connecting the sides-of two-members together at a plurality ofi'pointsin a detachable'manner. by. employing a single operable'memberat one .of the points only.

A- still further object. is" to produce improved interengag'eable'meansfcontrollable by a.sing le movablmember'forpositively and firmly'connecting two members to.- getlierin side by side re1ation, and'particularly one which is-easily'manipulatable' to either connect on disconnect the'relationship;

Yet 'another andmore specific object is to produce an.

iinprovedbottle case unit for quick and fi'rm attachment to otherlike units so that bottled'goods can be readily:

sold in lots comprising either one of the units .or a multiple thereofall connectedtogether.

Other objects; of my invention will become. apparent. from the followingdescription taken in connectionw-ith the accompanying drawings in which:

Fi'guregl isa topxview showing two case units. embodyii'rgjmy invention. with said' units in. connected I relation;

Figure 2is'a'view of one of the sides.offa.unit. showiiig the attaching openings andtongues. or prongs. for. cooperation" with parts on theside of another likeunit to makea' connection of the units;

Figure" 3 is a perspective view of the. single. slidable. catch on each' unit to. accomplish the locking. of unitsin. connectedrelationship;

Figure 4 isa sectional view taken. on approximately liiie4i4"of Figure 3; and

Figurej is an edge v-iewof the attaching part on.a side.- offth'e unit which is -to be receivedzin the. hole andcoope erate with .the tongues.

Referring; to. the drawings, in detail, my invention! is disclosedas beingembodied in. a case or. receptacleconstruction. for bottles and. particularly one: having. inde-- pendent'units for attachment anddetachment, butit is? to. be understood that this is byv way of .exampleonly. Fig;- ure' 1 shows the bottle case comprising. two separableunits U; but. it may have moreif, desired. Each unit-Uis of "identical'construction and, as.-shown, is designed .to holdtwelve' bottles. Thus, when two. units are attached; to.- geth'er as shownin Eigure 1, there willzbe. a.full case; Tlifese fiilli. cases. can .bedelivered from. the; bottling, plant: to a retailer. If a-customen desires: to buysonly half-:a

easel on.twelverbottlesgthen the'unitsgcanz be detached 4 2,732,969 Patented Jan. 31,.1956.

walls 12 and 13 and a bottom 14; There is a single longitudinal portion 15 down the center of the. unit and? suflicient cross" partitions 16 to provide for twelve compartments into each 'of which a bottle can be placed.

Theside wall .10'of each unit is constructed to have two longitudinallyspaced openings 17 and 18. These OPH ings are elongated, with the long axes being vertical. in the wall. Into like sides of each opening there extends. a short distance two tongues or prongs 19' and. 20. In; the plastic case shown these tongues are integral with. a flat piece of metal 21 which is embedded in the side wall; was indicated.

The other side wall 11 has embedded therein two metal. cup shaped members 22 and 23 of like construction.. These each provide elongated portions. 24. which. will project outwardly from the side wall. Each of. these projecting portions are of a width to fitinto an opening on asidewalllll 'of 'a unit by moving past the endsof tongues-.- 19 and 29: Like side walls of each projectingiportion. 24have two spaced slots 25' and 2'6 of a. size and position to receive the tongues after the portion 24 is-placed. in theopening and'the two units givena relative longitudinal' movement. The distance between the:side walls}of. each projecting portion 24" of. the cup shaped members? 2'2and' 23' which have the slots.wil1 .be. the same-.as the distance between the side of the openings. 17 and. 18. from which'the tongues. extend. Thus, when. any. two. unitsU are connected together as shown-in Figure 1, the; end'sthereof will be flush witheach other.

In order to lock. two units together so-separationwill' be prevented'whenthe cup shaped members 22 andt23. are. in the openings 17. and.18.and the tonguesreceived in slots, all as shown. in Figure. 1, a suitable lockingv means is employed. The locking means preferred is shown in Figures 1', 2, 3' and 4 and.it:is, to be notedlhat 0111340116: locking structure is employed to perform. the-looking oh the connecting means. at. the. two spaced points. The lockingmeans. which is.generally indicated by. the;letten I1, is associated with,.the.-opening 17 'and is mountedon: the inside of the. side. wall 10. Secured to'the' wall; as by rivets 27;]is a strip 28 andthis stripcarries on itszouten surface a holder. plate :29 which extends toward. the-:open-;= ing. from. thestrip and is spacedfrom the walL. The strip 28Tis positionedat anacute angle to the verticakandiawayfrom the side. edge. of the. opening opposite. that from. which the tongues extend. Associatedwith the stripzandi holder plate isfla slidable catch.3ll having a longitudinal slot 31;. This catch. is arranged to, slide along and'be guided by the edge-of. the strip and be held inzthe;space between the wall of the holderv plate- A- pin'32 is carried? by the. plateandwall. and extends through the: slot 3110. hold the. catchin'proper sliding position andalso limit its. angular. sliding movement. On the lowerend of the catch is a holding; finger 33: which extends toward the opening. and on its upper" end the catch has a handle flange 34 to facilitate manual sliding of the catch;

With. the: construction just described it" will. be seen that when thetcatch is slid downwardly asfar as possible to the'position'shown in full lines with.the flange 34m. gagingthe top-edge of the wall 10, the finger 33 will'be moved'into -the opening;17 from the side thereof 'opposite' the tongues. If the cupshaped member 22 is intheopening 17- and moved so'the tonguesare in the. slots. as shown in- Figure 1; then when the catch is down in locking position the linger 33 thereof will engage the side of the cup shaped member 22 opposite its slots and thus hold the member from movement in the opening. When the catch is pulled up to a non-holding position, as shown in dotted lines, then because of the angular sliding of the catch the finger 33 will be moved to one side of the opening 17 and thus permit the cup shaped members 22 and 23 both to be withdrawn from the openings 17 and 18 by proper relative movement of the two units.

It will be noted that my holding means is simple and easily and quickly operated. Only one catch member needs to be operated to make holding connections at spaced points. With the plastic construction of the units they will be light and durable, yet the holding connections will be by metal parts for strength and long wear.

It is to be understood that the units and holding means for connecting them together are shown by way of example only and modifications are therefore possible without departing from the fundamental principles of the invention involved. Also the holding structure can be employed where it is desired to hold any two fiat members together, regardless of whether on bottle case units or other structures. The scope of the invention is thus not to be limited except in accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a case construction, a pair of independent units having side walls arranged for close parallel attachment to each other and detachment from each other, each of said units carrying on a side wall thereof longitudinally spaced connecting elements, the elements on one wall and those on the other wall constituting spaced sets with the elements of each set being so constructed as to be capable of being interengaged simultaneously by a relative movement between the units, and a single manually operable slidable member carried by one of the walls for movement to a position cooperatively engaging with one of the elements of a set for preventing any such relative movement of the units that a disconnection of the units can take place after the sets of elements are placed in interengaging relation, each of said sets of elements constituting an'opening in one wall having an element extending therein and a projection on the other wall having a slot to receive the extending element after the projection is placed in the opening, said manually operable slidable member having a hand gripping part always accessible at the edge of the wall.

2. Connecting apparatus for two walled structures, means providing an opening in the wall of one structure and a tongue extending a short distance into said opening from a side thereof, means providing a lateral projection on the wall of the other structure, said projection having a width capable of being received in that part of the opening between the end of the tongue and the other side of said opening and also being provided with a slot in the side wall thereof for receiving the tongue when the projection is placed in the opening and then moved toward the side of the opening from which the tongue extends, and a manually operable slidable member carried by the wall having the opening and movable from a position permitting the projection to be placed in the opening to a position holding the projection in a position where the tongue is in the slot thereof, said slidable member having a hand engaging part always accessible from the edge of the wall on which the member is mounted.

3. Connecting apparatus for two walled structures, means providing an opening in the wall of one structure and a tongue extending a short distance into said opening from a side thereof, means providing a lateral projection on the wall of the other structure, said projection having a widthcapable of being received in that part of the opening between the end of the tongue and the other side of .saidz-lopening and also being provided with a slot in the side wall thereof for receiving the tongue when the projection is placed in the opening and then moved toward the side of the opening from which the tongue extends, and a member slidably mounted on the inside of the wall having the opening and having an operating part at the top of the wall for moving the member from a position permitting the projection to be placed in the opening to a position where a part thereof engages and holds the projection in a position where the tongue will remain in the slot thereof.

4. Connecting apparatus for two walled structures, means providing an elongated opening in the wall of one structure and a tongue extending a short distance into said opening from a side thereof, means providing a lateral elongated projection on the wall of the other structure, said projection having a width capable of being received in the opening between the end of the tongue and the other side of said opening and also being provided with a slot in the side wall thereof for receiving the tongue when the projection is placed in the opening and then moved toward the side of the opening from which the tongue extends, and a manually operable elongated memberslidably mounted on the wall having the opening to move lengthwise thereof and movable from a position permitting the projection to be placed in the opening to a position where a portion thereof engages and holds the projection in a position where the tongue is in the slot thereof, the mounting of the slidable member being such that it is slidable in a direction having an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the opening.

5. Connecting apparatus for two walled structures made of plastic material, one of said structures having an opening therein, a metal tongue embedded in the wall and extending a short distance into the opening, a metal member embedded in the other wall and provided with a projecting portion extending laterally from the wall and being of a size to be moved into the opening past the end of the tongue, said projecting portion being so constructed as to interengage with the tongue by a relative movement between the walled structures after the projecting portion is in the hole, and a manually operable member carried by the structure having the opening and being mounted for movement to engage the projecting portion and hold it and the tongue in interengaging relation.

6. Connecting apparatus for two walled structures made of plastic material, one of said structures having an opening therein, a metal tongue embedded in the wall and extending a short distance into the opening, a metal member embedded in the other wall and provided with a cup shaped projecting portion extending laterally from the wall and being of a size to be moved into the opening past the end of the tongue, said projecting portion having a slot in one side thereof to receive the tongue by a relative movement between the walled structures after the projecting portion is in the hole, and a manually operable member carried by the structure with the opening and mounted for movement to engage the projecting portion and hold it and the tongue in interengaging relation.

7. In a case construction for bottles, two independent units each having side walls for attachment to and detachment from each other, each of said units being made from mouldable plastic material and one of said units being provided with an opening in its side wall, a metal tongue embedded in the side wall and projecting into the opening, a metal member embedded in the wall of the other unit and having a portion projecting out from the wall and being of a size to fit into the opening in the other wall by movement past the end of the tongue, said projecting portion being constructed to interengage with the tongue by a relative movement of the units after the projecting portion is in the opening, and manually operable means carried by the wall having the opening and being mounted for movement to such an engaging position with the projection as to hold the projecting portion and the tongue in interengaged position.

8. In a case construction for bottles, two independent units each having side walls for attachment to and detachment from each other, each of said units being made from mouldable plastic material and one of said units being provided with an opening in its side wall, a metal a tongue embedded in the side wall and projecting into the opening, a metal member embedded in the wall of the other unit and having a portion projecting out from the wall and being of a size to fit into the opening in the other wall by movement past the end of the tongue, said projecting portion being constructed to interengage with the tongue by a relative movement of the units after the projecting portion is in the opening, and a manually operable member carried by the wall having the opening and being mounted for sliding movement along the side of the wall and across the opening to such an engaging position with the projection as to hold the projecting portion and the tongue in interengaged position.

9. In a case construction, a pair of independent units having said walls arranged for attachment to and detachment from each other, one of said units having its side wall provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced openings with each opening having a fixed tongue element extending into the opening from a side thereof, the other unit having a side wall provided with two lateral projections each of a size to be received in an opening, said projections being so constructed as to simultaneously interengage with the tongues by a movement of the units relatively to each other when the projections are in the openings, and a member carried on the inside of a wall of one unit and movable to a position engaging a projection for holding the projections and the tongues in interengaging relation, said member having a part accessible at all times above the side wall on which it is mounted.

10. In a case construction for bottles, a pair of independent units having side walls arranged for attachment to and detachment from each other, one of said units having its side wall provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced elongated openings with each opening having a fixed tongue element extending into the opening from a like side thereof, the other unit having a side wall provided with two lateral elongated projections each of a width to be recived in an opening by movement past a tongue, said projections being so constructed as to simultaneously interengage with the tongues by a movement of the units relatively longitudinally to each other when the projections are in the openings, and a member carried by the unit having the wall withthe opening and mounted for slidable movement parallel to the wall and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of an opening and to a position across the opening for engaging and holding a projection and tongue in interengaging relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

